In the past few weeks, Cork County Council has rejected a planning application for almost 100 houses in Clonakilty. The reason for the refusal was the Irish Water report in the planning in which it stated that water supply deficiencies are too high in the Clonakilty area to allow extra development. In my time as a councillor between 2004 and 2016, water problems in Clonakilty were being seriously recognised. Cork County Council developed a strategy to augment the supply to Clonakilty by drawing water from Curraghalicky Lake at Drinagh via a new pipeline. However, when Irish Water took over the running of water and sewerage these plans were abandoned. This has been a disaster for future growth in Clonakilty. To make matters worse, the county development plan is zoning more grounds for development in Clonakilty at the cost of rural surrounds when the council knows full well that no development can now take place due to lack of water. This is a huge blow not only to Clonakilty but to the surrounding areas of Timoleague and Rosscarbery as the growth of one of west Cork's biggest towns is now at a standstill. Will the Taoiseach, through his office, immediately work with Irish Water to find the funds for a new water scheme for Clonakilty and its surrounding areas?

Clonakilty is a beautiful and delightful west Cork town with a wonderful quality of life. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan has been raising this issue with me for some months now and has outlined and articulated the problem. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, is also engaging with Irish Water on this issue, which seems to be a different scheme from the one the Deputy is talking about. Irish Water is talking about a major connection between Bandon, I think, and Clonakilty and says the length of time that will take is considerable. There are a number of towns in west Cork that will be similarly impacted with respect to the speed of getting connections and so on. Therefore, we will engage with Irish Water on this question.